Most American Jews are Ashkenazi, from Eastern Europe, and do not eat rice or other grains, except matzo meal or potato flour at Pesach. Jews who hail from the Mediterranean area, Sephardic Jews, have different dietary standards. So if you are serving an Ashkenazi crowd, they won't eat rice and could be surprised and very uncomfortable to see it on the table. Best to stick with items that are Kosher on any table.

Susan g makes a good point - rice is Kosher, but, for some Jews, it is not Kosher for Passover. I guess in our discussion we assumed our questioner meant Kosher for Passover, which starts next week, and my comment about rice was about Passover (Pesach). For Ashkenazi Jews, rice is not allowed during Passover (see http://www.jewfaq.org/holidaya.htm). Because bread could be made from it, it is treated a grain (called kitniyot).